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Indigo smiled, typing in an answer.

Barely. It’s late.

She waited.

Want to grab coffee tomorrow? I miss you.

She tapped a reply, still smiling.

Maybe…
She hit send, then added another text.
That’s ALWAYS my answer.

Jude’s response was nearly as quick.

MAYBE???

Indigo giggled.

A girl’s gotta keep her options open.

She waited, gnawing on the side of her thumbnail. She
believed that, but it was weird to put it into words. Her smile melted until
only a hint of it remained.
‘Maybe that’s half my prob—”

Another text appeared.

Then I’m coming over NOW, before you change your mind.
Grab your coat, and maybe some clothes.
There was a pause.
Scratch that.
No coat or clothes. I’ll bring coffee to YOU!

Indigo smothered a giggle in her pillow.

DO NOT COME BY. Shireese would FREAK. Besides, I have
class tomorrow. Go to sleep.

His reply popped up a second later.

Can’t sleep.

She grinned.

SLEEP.

She hit send, wondering why she felt like a teenager where
Jude was concerned.

I tried, but I really can’t. I miss you.

There was a short pause, and another message from Jude
appeared.

Couldn’t sleep last night either.

Indigo frowned, her quick retort disappearing under a wave
of concern.

Why?

A text popped up.

Had a shitty week. Wish you’d been around. Should have
called. Sorry. :(

Indigo frowned.

You okay?

The answers appeared in rapid sequence.

Yes.

No.

Just miss you.

Promise me coffee and then I’ll stop bugging you.

Indigo sighed. She’d had a crappy week too, but that was
because Jude hadn’t called. She could hardly say that.

Fine. Coffee at break, but only because you’re paying for
it.

A series of emoticons – smiley faces and hearts – filled her
screen and Indigo began to laugh aloud. In the other room, she heard Shireese
roll over, the bed banging against too-thin walls.

Indigo typed a response:
You’re such a nerd.
Then she
sat smiling in the darkness.

Might be, but I’m YOUR nerd.

Indigo’s grin grew softer, more poignant. It was stupid to
let this continue. Shireese was right, he’d find out eventually, but she didn’t
know how to tell him the truth. The seconds ticked by as she mulled that
thought over. Another text appeared.

Night, Indigo. I’m holding you to coffee tomorrow.

She sighed.

Maybe.

Tomorrow would be soon enough.

Talking to Indigo – even if it was just texting – was the
highlight of an otherwise horrid week. Besides his day job, innumerable other
things were pressing for Jude’s attention. The first priority had been a new
apartment, a harder task than he’d expected. Mid-semester, all the rentals
around campus were full. In the end, Jude reluctantly agreed to move into
Marq’s condo. He wasn’t done being angry with him, but with no place to go, he
was out of options. The rest of his time was eaten up by work and hacking. Jude
started out tentatively, poking at the security systems that King had set up
for his business dealings. On Tuesday he received an anonymous email.

You haven’t even broken through the first layer of
security. Try harder.

The sender was a spam address, and his email bounced back
the second Jude replied. The experience left him panicked. Suddenly
he
was
the one being checked up on. He found himself glancing over his shoulder in
public, certain that there were people watching. Twice, he caught sight of a
black sedan with tinted windows, parked on the street below Marq’s condo.

He redoubled his efforts.

On Thursday, he finally broke through the firewall’s outer
defenses, peeling back the first of many layers, locating several unregistered
businesses that were associated through purchases and invoicing with King’s
fronted companies. He wasn’t surprised when the next email arrived.

I’m impressed. Keep going.

This would be the last job, Jude told himself. The last
thing he’d ever do for Tyrone “King” Fischer. But he had to finish it before he
could get out. Most of the time, Jude even believed that.

On Friday, Jude met Indigo for coffee. Seeing her after so
long, his mind began to fixate on a way to spend time together. She was part of
a life that was, so far, out of his reach.

“You need to relax more,” Indigo teased him, as they sat on
the high stools at the Student Union coffee shop. “Get out and have some fun
instead of working all the time.”

“I do relax,” Jude sighed. “Just not this week.”

Today Indigo was the relaxed version of herself, tight
jeans, tee and leather jacket exuding an attitude of indifference. If he didn’t
already know her, he’d never have the nerve to walk up and say hello. As it
was, he reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes and tucking it
behind her ear. She closed her eyes as he touched her, sooty lashes a dark wing
across the snow of her cheek.

“I’m gonna take some time off this weekend,” he added.

“Uh-huh,” she smirked. “That’s what they all say.”

“It’s true,” Jude insisted. “Marq and the tech crew are
getting together on Saturday.” He leaned in, voice low. “Thought maybe you’d
like to come out with us. It’s a nice club uptown. My treat.”

Indigo shrugged.

“Well,” she murmured. “I guess I could think about it.” She
peeked at him through a fringe of long hair. “Maybe.”

“Maybe,” Jude laughed. “Yeah, I know, I know.”

“If I
did
come along,” she added. “What kind of
clothes should I wear?”

Jude grinned, sliding closer so that one arm was slung
loosely around her waist.

“Oh, something nice,” he replied with a wolfish grin. “The
dress code’s suit and tie for men.” Jude’s fingers danced along the edge of
Indigo’s jeans, teasing the bare line of skin between pants and t-shirt. “That
dress you wore on Friday would work.”

“Business casual,” she smirked. “Got it. But that’s only
if
I go.”

“Sounds like we’ve got another date.”

Indigo giggled, a blush rising up her neck to her cheeks.
She picked up her phone, then gasped.

“Shit!” she hissed. “I’m late for class!”

“Your project coming along okay?” Jude asked, leaving the
coffee on the counter and following Indigo as she strode back to the computer
lab.

“It’s okay, but I still haven’t got any footage,” she said
tersely. Reaching the door to the lab, she stopped, eyebrows pulled together
worriedly. “Were you serious about helping me with it?” she asked. “‘Cause I’ve
got to finish.”

Jude smiled. For the first time this week, it felt like
everything might work out.

“Absolutely.”

: : : : : : : : : :

Lissa reviewed the last of the files. Barring one
questionable not-safe-for-work email he’d archived, Jude Alden was clean. No
porn. No illegal activities. No inappropriate correspondence with underage
freshman. And definitely no research into nineteenth century documents. His
entire university account was, in fact, totally bare.

She picked up the phone, dialling.

“Cal Woodrow here,” came a cultured voice.

“Professor Woodrow,” Lissa answered. “I checked on the tech
you asked about, but I don’t see anything to suggest he’d been snooping into
your files.” She paused. “You sure it wasn’t someone else who helped you
recover the project you lost?”

“Hmm,” Cal muttered. “Could have been, I suppose. It was
last semester after all.”

“D’you want me to ask Jude about it?” Lissa offered. “He’s
in today. I could ask him if he remembers which tech helped you with your
files.”

“Oh no, no,” Cal said hastily. “Don’t ask. I wouldn’t want
to bother him.” He cleared his throat. “Thank you for checking in on Jude,” he
said. “I’ll call you again if I can remember who it was.”

“D’you need some help recovering the missing files?” she
offered. “I could send someone down.” She smirked. “Sometimes people save
things in the wrong place by accident. Happens all the time.”

“Don’t bother,” Cal said a little too fast. “I’m just fine.
I’m certain I have a spare copy of the data around here somewhere.”

“You sure?” Lissa asked, “because it’s no prob—”

“Thanks again, Lissa! Must run now. Goodbye!”

The phone clicked and went dead, leaving Lissa staring at it
in confusion. Sometimes, she thought in frustration, this job wasn’t worth the
little it paid.

: : :
: : : : : : :

Saturday night, Jude sat with Indigo tucked next to him in
the cab, the city passing in a blur of lights.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

She wore the same dress she’d worn on their first date, but
tonight it was paired with knee-high black boots, a wide belt, and a close-cut
suit jacket. Her hair was in a complicated updo, strands of it tracing the
length of her neck. She looked ready for the boardroom or the bedroom. Either
way, Jude was smitten.

He leaned in, kissing her neck.

“Later,” Indigo warned, sliding an arm around him.

“No maybes.”

She smiled, but didn’t answer.

Jude noticed a difference as they neared uptown. Block by block,
Indigo’s posture stiffened, until by the time they arrived, her hands were
white-knuckled in her lap. The driver circled, searching for the address while
Indigo stared silently out at the street. Jude knew the club was in the upper
floors of one of the buildings, but wasn’t quite sure which. He asked the
driver to stop, paying without asking for change.

“C’mon,” Jude said, offering his hand and helping Indigo out
of the cab. “I’ll give Marq a call and find out exactly where this place is.”

Indigo turned in a slow circle, her eyes on the knots of
people making their way down the street. It was an upper-crust neighbourhood,
and it struck Jude she must look uncomfortable for a reason. Jude finished
dialling, waiting until Marq answered.

“Jude, man!” Marq shouted through a wave of pounding music.
“Where ARE you two?”

“Outside, I think,” Jude replied. “Not sure. Just looks like
apartments and storefronts to me.”

Jude turned back, finding Indigo staring at him, dark lashes
framing worried eyes.

“Jude,” she said in a small voice. “What’s the name of this
place?”

“Wait a sec,” Jude mouthed before continuing. “Marq! I can
barely hear you. Where’s the entrance?”

“There’s a doorman wearing a pinstriped suit in front of a
brick building at 118
^th
and 5
^th
. You see him?”

Jude turned, and Indigo turned along with him, her hand
reaching out and grabbing his arm in alarm.

“Yeah, I see him,” Jude said.

“No!” Indigo gasped.

“Well, that’s the doorman to the club,” Marq shouted into
the buzzing phone. “Just tell him you’re there for The Vault. He’ll let you in.
Kimbra and Charlie are already here. Still waiting on Abhishek.”

“Alright,” Jude said. “Be there in a sec.”

Jude turned off the phone, returning it to his pocket.

“What’s the name?” Indigo hissed.

“The Vault,” Jude answered. “Marq says it’s really upscale
and—”

He took a step forward, but Indigo jerked her hand away.

“I’m not going in there.” Her voice was louder, more certain
than before. Her arms crossed, expression fierce.

“You’re not?”

She shook her head. Jude waited for an explanation that
never came.

“Why?”

“I’m not. I just…” Her face crumpled before the stony mask
of control fell back into place. “I just can’t.”

“It’s a nice place, Indigo. I promise.”

He reached out for her hand, but she pulled away.

“No!”

Jude frowned, the first prickle of annoyance ruffling his
composure.

“But Marq and the rest of the tech guys are already there,”
he complained. “I can’t just ditch them.”

“Fine,” Indigo said, lifting her chin. “You go in. I’m
leaving.”

She began walking down the street, away from him. For a
moment Jude didn’t move, his temper rising.

“Where are you going?!”

She glanced over her shoulder, but didn’t slow down.

“Tanis is playing tonight at O’Reilly’s,” she shouted,
folding the collar of her jacket up against the wind. “You can meet up with us
later, if you want.”

“I will!” Jude called. “Just give me a minute to talk to the
guys and I’ll come!” Indigo didn’t even turn around.

With a low curse, Jude headed inside.

: : :
: : : : : : :

Abhishek Singh was just finishing up in the Tech Center when
someone knocked at the door. He sighed in disappointment. He was
never
going
to make it to The Vault if people kept showing up at the last second. Even with
the phone off the hook, he’d still collected four hours of overtime, and there
was no end in sight.

He pulled the door open with a weary smile.

“Yes?”

The blond man on the other side was clearly a professor. He
wore a suit, his tie askew, briefcase in one hand, keys in the other.

“Hello,” the man said, peeking into the office. “You the
only tech support on tonight?”

Abhishek wilted. The Vault was getting further and further
away.

“Yes,” he sighed. “I’m the only one on tonight. Is there
something I can help you with, Professor…?”

“Professor Wo—” he began. “Actually, just call me Keith.”

“Okay, Keith. What can I do for you?”

The man laughed nervously, his eyes darting up the hallway,
and back again.

“Well, you see,” he said. “I suppose I’m wondering if any of
the tech people do contract work. On computers, I mean.”